U.S. EMBASSY EXPRESSES DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT AT STATEMENT OF ANCA DIRECTOR ARAM HAMBARIAN

Noyan Tapan
Mar 15 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 15, U.S. Embassy in Armenia
spread a statement in response to the statement of Armenian National
Committee of America. The statement read:

"Regarding the Statements Made by ANCA The Embassy noted with deep
disappointment the statement made in Yerevan on March 13 by ANCA
Exec Director Aram Hambarian. His remarks were a wilful distortion
of reality and have no place in any serious discussion about policy
differences. Mr. Hambarian’s comments are particularly out of place
in Yerevan, where the Government of Armenia has already signaled
its readiness to work with Ambassador Hoagland. Neither Ambassador
Hoagland nor the Administration has ever denied the mass murders and
forced exile of over 1.5 million Armenians that occurred in the final
years of the Ottoman Empire.

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on June 28, 2006, Ambassador Hoagland specifically said,
on the record, "No one in the Administration has ever denied the
events." He has read broadly the history of the period. However,
the Administration, and therefore Ambassador-designate Hoagland,
does not use the word "genocide" to describe these events."

To recap, during the March 13 press conference in Yerevan ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hambarian, in particular, said: "U.S. President
George Bush has no clear policy in the issue of Armenian Genocide. He
neither says "yes" nor "no." If there was such policy, the Armenian
community of U.S. would not protest against appointment of Richard
Hoagland to the post of U.S. Ambassador.

Indeed, RA needs U.S. Ambassador, but he should not be pro-Turkish."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress